The first cut is the deepest, or so the title of the song written by Cat Stevens goes. And in a national beauty pageant like Bb. Pilipinas where the level of contention among the candidates is as sharp as the cutting edge of a high-carbon steel Japanese-style chef’s knife, there is a big difference between being summoned to centerstage for the first elimination during the Grand Coronation Night. It is at this point where the ladies with official placements are separated from those relegated to just stay in the background for the remaining hours of the competition.

In this year’s edition of Bb. Pilipinas, your blogger followed the format used last year where the Top 25 signalled the start of the filtration process. It also gives a relatively wider breathing space in that more deserving candidates are recognized for their hard-earned efforts in standing out and being counted as among the stronger ones.

Here are the twenty-five beauties in my first cut, according to their respective pin numbers:

Believe it or not, it breaks my heart to have no spot/s left for any of the remaining fifteen. But in the true spirit of pageant analysis, it needs to be done so we can move forward and zero in further on the more deserving fighters. This despite the fact that the afterglow of making it to Top 25 is relatively short-lived as the next cut to 15 beckons shortly after the swimsuit and/or evening gown competition.

Now if a People’s Choice Award winner is automatically selected as part of the Top 15, then I would go out on a limb by stating that #Binibini20 Catriona Gray is very likely to get the honor of being guaranteed a spot. Her fan base is undeniably strong, just like the time of MJ Lastimosa where crowd cheers/popularity is only part and parcel of the support. Text and online votes provide just as much proof of the same.

So that leaves us with getting fourteen more Binibinis to join her in the next mix. Hence, my Top 15 reads as follows:

Now this is the part where nerves of steel and grace under pressure will score high on the score sheets of the judges. A lot of the still-standing Binibinis in my Top 15 are expected to deliver at this point. Based on previous performances in another national pageant alone, #Binibini20 Catriona Gray (Miss World Philippines 2016) has already proven herself well-equipped the minute she starts holding the microphone and dishing out an answer to the question that will be asked of her.

During last Sunday night’s “The Road to the Crown” TV Special on ABS-CBN as well, there were those who showed how good they are in expressing themselves more spontaneously during the speaking test where they were tasked to enter a room and pick a photo or item that represents their aspirations and motivations.

But the Final Q&A could be an entirely different playing field. I reckon that there will have already been installed favorites at this juncture. And if my combination of gut-feel and observations is to be relied upon, the following eight could be headed for victorious punctuations to their Bb. Pilipinas dreams, provided that they don’t falter big-time during this part:

Two of them are looking to be Runners-Up – Eva Psychee Patalinjug and Patrizia Mariah Garcia. These two can definitely rejoin and still be groomed for better things to come in a year or two. Being part of the winners’ circle will allow them to train with the titleholders for many months to come.

As for my predicted Queens, this is how I see the distribution of the titles:

Predicting the winners of Bb. Pilipinas is a tricky proposition, unless I have the power to read into the future. Final deliberations can be ultimately trickier, though. But I sincerely hope that the rightful winners be assigned to the crowns where they can be maximized to the fullest, en route to a glorious collective participation in their respective missions abroad.

Never underestimate the endearing qualities of your #Binibini3 Muriel Adrienne Isidore Orais of Cebu. From Day 1 till now, she has never faltered in her well-mannered and gracious ways – reason why even the BPCI and Araneta Center Officials and Staff are continuously smitten by her charm. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee a sure win. But if you gather all the brownie points she has collected in the eyes of many, there appears to be a good chance of succeeding in what she initially signed up for – and that is to win one of the crowns at stake.

Muriel is a smart social individual, and she is the type who can be better appreciated in face-to-face or interpersonal encounters. Her beauty may not dazzle in an instant, but her personality is so engagingly entrancing. It matters a lot in the long run, if you ask me.

So who’s on Team Muriel Orais? She is neither a dark horse nor a shoo-in titleholder in my eyes. But that was weeks back. Now, she is looking more and more like the latter of the two.

There is something wonderful to be said about the representation of the Queen City of the South in Bb. Pilipinas 2018 which boasts of having not just one or two or three, but four (4) Binibinis in the thick of the competition for the crowns at stake. There is #Binibini3 Muriel Adrienne Orais, followed by #Binibini23 Ena Velasco (who is originally from Bacolod but trained in Cebu) and #Binibini26 Wynonah Buot. #Binibini32 Eva Patalinjug completes the quartet and how. This is such a strong group of Cebuanas in what could be their strongest presence yet in the nationals.

Among the four, Ena has the strongest credentials, being a Medical Doctor – something that would benefit most the charity projects of BPCI with her mere presence alone. Muriel has the best PR and communication background, being part of the Presidential Cabin Crew and also the face of the print ads and in-flight safety video of the nation’s flag carrier. Wynonah has the most solid modeling background as a profession, having spent years as a runway gazelle and photographic subject in Cebu. Eva is not falling behind in the looks and popularity department, aside from being the only nationally-titled top winner of another beauty pageant, Mutya ng Pilipinas (Muriel also placed in Miss Philippines Earth, but as a member of the Elemental Court).

Each one of the four have strong cards to lay down on the table come deliberation time. Who will get the best reward come March 18, dear readers?

As the official airline of Bb. Pilipinas, this year’s candidates made the traditional visit to the Philippine Airlines Headquarters where they were warmly welcomed by its officials and employees.

The question in the mind of others, though, is why can’t the presently-employed FAs of PAL who are also Binibinis (like #Binibini3 Muriel Orais) exempted from winning the sponsor award it will hand out on March 18? I think it doesn’t take a genius to answer that. There should be no conflict of interest whatsoever in the selection. Let us not read too much into the decision now. Instead, enjoy the photos of the ladies during the visit.

I am adding a new factor in my analysis of the forty (40) Binibinis of Bb. Pilipinas 2018. This is the “hands-on-feel” (not “gut-feel”) factor that can only be fulfilled if one actually spends some quality personal time with them, while observing what impact they have on the individuals running the orgnization (BPCI). It really takes a lot of keen observation on my part, and I am not bragging about having that kind of advantage. I just want to give you, dear readers, a running idea about stuff that you will not get purely from photos, videos, social media posts and also personal armchair assessments from the comforts of your desktop at home or work or while lazing on bed checking out updates in your smartphones.

According to their numbers now, I am sharing fourteen (14) Binibinis on the upswing. Fourteen just because Valentine’s Day is always observed on the fourteenth:

To date, these ladies are starting to collect “good grades” from most everyone. “Good grades” are not actual digits awarded on paper, but an accumulation of positive feedbacks/impressions that – if left unopposed – might really get to cement serious inroads to make themselves the ladies to beat in the upcoming weeks of competition. The key word is consistency. It could be consistent physical beauty, consistently pleasant personality, consistently admirable demeanour or plain consistent Queen-worthiness in all aspects for consideration. Mind you, the parameters above are things one can only (and closely) observe in person.

I am still waiting for stronger moves from the ones I want to zoom up in the charts like #Binibini37 Patrizia Garcia, #Binibini15 Juliana Kapeundl, #Binibini36 Loren Mar Artajos and #Binibini7 Sigrid Grace Flores. In all honesty, these four have it in them to be potential favorites by those whose inputs matter most. They just need to get in the groove and step up big-time.

It’s common knowledge now that #Binibini3 Muriel Adrienne Isidore Orais is the face of Philippine Airlines in the “Heart of the Filipino” print ads of the country’s flag carrier. She is also the first one to speak in the in-flight safety video (watch below) that can be watched by passengers aboard the aircraft before takeoff.

In real life, Muriel has a very warm and caring nature, and this must be one of the reasons why she thrives in her work as Flight Attendant. It is so easy to approach her and start a conversation. Her PR skills are commendable, tempered most of the time to make sure that she projects just the right kind of persona at work and in public.

How is #Binibini3 doing in your respective scoresheets, dear readers?

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Hi! Norman here. When I'm not working, I spend most of my free time planning on daily blogs. If you will notice, I always make sure that a fresh topic comes out everyday - not an easy thing to do but it's all good. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the visit!

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